Santa Monica College will celebrate International Education Week Monday through Friday, Nov. 14 through 18, with a variety of free events including dance, music, film screenings and a lecture by Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan. All events are open to the public.

SMC is one of the many organizations nationwide that will celebrate International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. State and Education Departments.

“This is SMC’s 11th annual celebration of International Education Week, and through special events during the week we celebrate our diverse campus community and global perspectives,” International Education Dean Kelley Brayton said. “SMC has one of the largest international student programs in the U.S. with 3,100 students representing more than 100 countries.”

Brayton said the weeklong activities offer “an opportunity to celebrate how our international students enrich our campus, our classrooms, our communities and our lives on a daily basis.

“SMC’s commitment to global citizenship is reflected in our curriculum, campus activities, study abroad programs, and diverse campus community,” Brayton said.

The lineup of events, all held on the main SMC campus at 1900 Pico Blvd., includes:

  • Monday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. (Humanities & Social Science Lecture Hall 165): Film and discussion – “The Other Conquest” (“La Otra Conquista”). Written and directed by SMC film studies professor Salvador Carrasco, “The Other Conquest” is an epic film that brings to life the world of 1520s Mexico in the aftermath of the Spanish Conquest from the vantage point of the Aztec people.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Campus Quad): “Global Citizenship Day,” featuring limited free samples of international foods, music, and dance performances from SMC’s Global Motion World Dance Company.
  • Nov. 15 at 6:30 p.m. (Humanities & Social Science Lecture Hall 165): Film by Muhammad Yunus – “To Catch a Dollar,” which addresses how the global phenomenon of microfinance is helping grow new businesses in the U.S. (This event repeats at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18 in the same location) and
  • Thursday, Nov. 17 at 11:15 a.m. (Humanities & Social Science Room 165): Kenneth Turan: “Foreign Films in a Global Community: Their Impact & Evolution.” Turan, film critic for the Los Angeles Times and National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” will discuss foreign language films in the current international landscape.
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